Becky May ’06: A Balance of Academics and Athletics

With a 2-0 victory against Cal Lutheran on Nov. 2, the women’s soccer team claimed their first SCIAC Championship in 15 years and earned the team’s first ever trip to the NCAA playoffs.

“Being part of this team is something I can be proud of,” Becky May ’06 said. “We have worked so hard for so many years. We lost every game my sophomore year, and now to win SCIAC my senior year as one of the captains—it is just amazing.”

Since that losing year, Head Coach Jennifer Scanlon has brought in a strong group of women, many of them Pitzer students, triggering quite a change.

“Becky has been a crucial ingredient in our turnaround process the last couple of years,” Coach Scanlon said. “Since the day she joined the team she has helped set the standard for the type of commitment and work-ethic I wanted the players to have. She has been a tremendous leader for this soccer program.”

Thanks to the team’s success the fan base of Pitzer faculty and students has grown enormously.

“Before, no one really knew there was a soccer team. Now, there are so many more people at the games,” May explained. “The President comes to the games and she even hosts an annual dinner for all the athletes. It is really inspiring.”

As a psychology major, May would like to attend graduate school after commencement in the spring. Before she leaves, however, there are a few things she hopes she will be able to impart on the large number of Pitzer first-years on the team.

“I hope that I am able to encourage the first-years to be involved, to be part of the school and represent the school well,” May said. “I want to help them learn how to balance the intense academics with the competitive athletics. It is not just a sport; it adds another dimension to your college experience.”

May’s experience at Pitzer has been multi- dimensional. She studied abroad last spring on Pitzer’s External Studies Program in Parma, Italy. An experience she would repeat if she could.

“I am so glad that I chose Pitzer. I’ve really been able to learn and participate in class and in sports. Both are challenging, and both are rewarding in so many ways.”